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Friday, March 3, 2017

ABC (Asparagus, Barley and Chickpea) Salad

This fresh and light salad is a perfect spring side dish or lunch. It would be great alongside some grilled meat but is also wonderful on its own!

Back in the fall I bought a GIANT bag of pearled barley. I had big plans for using it in all sorts of soups and stews and other lovely wintery comfort food. I did make a few lovely soups, including this delicious Creamy Mushroom and Barley Soup. Mmmm!

But it turns out when you only use barley a cup at a time, it takes a while to get through a big old bag. So I needed to mix it up and make something a bit more spring and summer friendly.

That's right, put away the soup pot. Barley is coming into a new season! This really isn't much different than the quinoa salad kick I went on. But this take is even fresher and more filling! It would be a great picnic side as it is portable and can be made ahead.

It would be great for a nice dinner served alongside a piece of grilled meat. Can't you imagine it with a lovely chicken breast, or pork chop, or fish? It also makes a great lunch on it's own. In fact, I brought the leftovers to work for lunch for 4 days. I didn't need anything else and it held up really well even as the days went on.

So if you are looking for a new fresh side, this is definitely worth making! Even my manly man, steak and potatoes husband really enjoyed it. He mentioned how much he like it at least twice over the course of dinner. That's saying something too.

If that last bit of barley is already working its way toward the back of the pantry, stop! Pull it out and put it to good use! Or maybe if you don't have barley handy but you'd still like to try asparagus in a fun new salad, there is always maple bacon asparagus salad! What is your favorite salad combination?

Yield: 8 servings as a sideAuthor: Cooking With Carlee

ABC (Asparagus, Barley and Chickpea) Salad

This fresh and light salad is a perfect spring side dish or lunch. It would be great alongside some grilled meat but is also wonderful on its own!

prep time: 15 MINScook time: 40 MINStotal time: 55 mins

ingredients:

1 cup pearled barley

1 pound asparagus

1 15oz can chickpeas

4 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 oz crumbled feta cheese

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

3 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

instructions

Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to boil. Add a pinch of salt. Add the barley, return to a boil and then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until barley is tender. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, trim the ends off the asparagus and cut into two inch pieces. Cook until tender crisp using your favorite method. You can blanch them, steam them or even a couple of minutes in the microwave will do.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss in the asparagus and barley. Stir in the herbs and adjust the seasoning to taste.

19 comments:

Gimmie them chickpeas girl! My family doesn't like them but I love them so this will be a salad that I would make just for me and have a couple days at work for my lunches! Thank you doll and I hope your weekend is sweet and full of wonderful moments!

Hi Carlee, we never used to be able to get barley here, but now we can I always make sure we have a bag in, I add it to soups stews and even use it instead of rice. I love the stuff. This dish would go well as a summer side with meat fresh off the barbecue.